Medical Cannabis Legalized in Mississippi
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeve signed the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act (SB 2095) into law on Feb. 2. The Senate passed SB 2095 in a 46-5 vote on Jan. 13, and the House passed the bill in 105-14 vote on Jan. 19. Gov. Reeves’ signature makes Mississippi the 37th state to legalize medical cannabis.
Voters had previously approved a ballot measure legalizing medical cannabis but the state’s Supreme Court overturned the measure due to statutory reasons.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) will oversee the administration medical cannabis program, including:
- issue registry identification cards to qualifying patients and caregivers
- license facilities for cultivation, processing, testing and research
- license transportation and disposal entities
The MSDH is currently working to establish the licensing and patient registry structures and plans to begin accepting online license applications for patients, medical practitioners, cannabis cultivation facilities, and others by June 2022.
The Department of Revenue will be responsible for licensing, regulating and enforing the law for medical cannabis dispensaries. License cultivators will be responsible for collecting and remitting excise tax to the department. All licensed dispensaries will also be responsible for collecting and remitting the standard sales tax.
Click here to read the full bill text. Visit https://msdh.ms.gov/mmcp with the most up-to-date information regarding licensing, business registration, cultivation and availability, and qualifying conditions.
The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) shared its support of the bill’s signing.
“SB 2095 reflects an attempt to create a middle ground between the extremely restrictive approach some legislators and the governor favor and voters’ strong preference for a broad measure,” MPP said in a statement. “This is a historic win for the patients of Mississippi. SB 2095 is legislation Mississippians can be proud of and continue to fine tune in the coming legislative sessions.”
Gov. Reeves described SB2095 as a bill he “would not have written” but “the overwhelming majority voted for a medical program in the 2019 election and I committed to supporting the will of the people.”
“It is a fact that the legislators who wrote the final version of the bill … made significant improvements to get us towards accomplishing the ultimate goal,” Gov. Reeves said in a statement.
He noted the following requirements in the final version of the bill:
- Reduce the total amount that any one individual can receive to 3 oz. per month
- Medical professionals can only prescribe within the scope of his/her practice and must have a relationship with the patient.
- Only an MD or DO must prescribe for young adults between the ages of 18-25.
- The MSDH will implement packaging and advertising rules
- Prohibit any incentives from the Mississippi Development Authority
- Prohibit dispensaries from being located fewer than 1,000 feet from a church or school
The full statement from Gov. Reeves can be read below.
My statement on the medical marijuana bill: pic.twitter.com/VTpXbfMv6C
— Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) February 2, 2022
— Ana Olvera, managing editor, Cannabis Product News
